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Top Twenty Developer Requests for Adobe Flex 4

A list of requests for improvements from Flex developers around the world

Two months ago, I’ve created a group called Adobe Flex Experts on LinkedIn. More than 100 Flex developers/bloggers joined this group since then.

I posted there the following question:

"If you could add just one feature or suggest an improvement, what would it be? Please keep the response very short (as in Twitter - under 140 characters). There is no need to explain why you want it. Just name it."

And here’s what people are looking for in the future Flex:

1. Full html rendering support (tall order i know...)

2. Print Preview Component

3. I would not add anything, I would like Adobe to focus on fixing bug and issues from the jira system. Like the need for application wide exception handling. Or just fixing bugs, bugs, bugs. Oh, maybe some real collections

4. I would love to see private constructors and possibly method overloading added to the language

5. Access system environment variables at least in AIR

6. Better performance

7. Better printing support. Launching of external apps in AIR. Improved AIR silent installers. More fine grained control over data binding

8. Abstract classes and true singletons

9. More components and more build in skins. Better performance. My eclipse still weeps when i change my perspective to flex

10. We need a real effort on Flex Builder script editor. They must implement a full "quick fix" support. A source menu with more functionalities and refactoring like default Java editor for Eclipse

11. We also absolutely need that they implements enum and abstract class in Actionscript, but it will not be possible for Flex 4 with the actual release of Flash player 10, we still need to wait one or two years more ... this was something widely asked since 2006. It's really hard to create robust architectures without a real enum support. But with recent changes on ECMAScript 4 ex-standard, we perhaps have a chance something move right

12. A plugin for IDE to generate getter and setter, a plugin to format code of MXML and as3, better performance on compilation so that I don't have to  wait for 5 minutes after writing a few lines of code to see changes

13. Make modules more robust including versioning and fix issues with Singleton class caching

14. Integrating Text and Graphics is OK, Full html rendering is too ...

15. Abstract classes

16. Fonts embed (font style and weight enabled with font characters subset)

17. Support for native PDF generation (pdf classes) and embeded PDF display (altrought it is possible with LiveCycle I would see it standalone)

18. For  AIR:

- support for other DB then SQLite
- possiblity to call external system libraries and programs
- possiblity to read/write system registry

19. I would add to the call for better OO, especially now that ActionScript is potentially no longer associated with ECMAScript. Also, please decouple  layouts from containers. Composition over inheritence should be the way to go, the current UI component hierarchy is far too complicated and inFLEXible

20.  Here's my one and only wish for Flex 4. Do something about Flex Builder. It's unbearably slow.

I'm not sure if Adobe will take this list into consideration, but every little bit helps. Use all available channels to speak up. Submits bugs and requests for improvements to Flex bugs database.

Even though I'm very skeptical about the Dear Adobe site, but if you are desperate, submit your request there too.

AJAX & RIA Technology Providers and Contributors in 2008-2009
The following companies are among the providers and contributors of AJAX & RIA technology: 1&1 Internet AG, 3Tera, 4D, Accenture, ACCESS Systems America, AccuRev, Active Endpoints, Active Inquiry, ActiveState, Actuate, Adaptive Blue, Adaptive Path, Adobe, Agitar Software, Ajax13, Akamai Technologies, Alfresco, Allurent, Altova, Amazon.com, AppApliance, Appcelerator, Appeon, Apple, Applibase, Apress, Aptana, Ask Pivot, ASPAlliance, Asperon, Astreya, Altassian Software Systems, Avenue A/ Razorfish, Aztecsoft, Azul Systems, BackBase, Barracuda Networks, Baynote, BEA Systems, Black Duck Software, Blogtronix, BlueFolder, BlueTie, Borland, Bottomline, Bungee Labs, CambrianHouse, Canoo Engineering AG, Cassatt, Cast Iron Systems, Catalyst Resources, Cenzic, CG Principals, Cherry Road Technologies, Chordiant Software, CIGNEX Technologies, Cisco Systems, Cision, Citrix Systems, Claria Corporation, Clearspring, CMS Watch, Codign, Coghead, Cognizant Technology Solutions, ComponentArt, ComponentOne, ConceptSolutions, Conduit Connect, Conference Guru, Coradiant, CoreSpeed, Corizon, Crescendo Networks, Crosscheck Networks, CSS Group, cStar Technologies, CSW Group, Curl, Cynergy Systems, Dassault Systems, DataDirect, Day Software, dCongo, deCarta, Dragonfly Software Solutions, DreamFace Interactive, Dynamic Toolbar DTX, DynaTrace, E*Trade, Edream Solutions, EDS, EffectiveUI, Egnyte, Elastic Path Software, Elementool, eLink Business Innovations, EMC, Encanvas, ESRI, ESRIA, Etelos Systems, etouch, Evans Data Corporation, Ex Machina, Exadel, eXo Platform SAS, exorbyte, Experian, F5 Networks, FAST, Feedback FX, Fig Leaf Software, Fiorano Software, FiveRuns Corporation, Foedus, Foldera, Force10 Networks, Fortify Software, Forum Systems, Fotango, Freewebs, froglogic, Funambol, FundingPost, Fusion Technologies, GemStone Systems, Genuitec, Gizmox, Glassbox, Global Computer Enterprises, GoGrid, Gomez, Google, GreenHat Software, GreenPoint, GroupLink, Groupware Technology, HCL Technologies, Helmi Technologies, Hitachi, HP, Hurox, Hydus, Ibiza Software, IBM, ICEsoft, IDV, idyna TECH, IEEE, ILOG, Impetus, iNetOffice, Infinlogic, Infragistics, Ingres, Inimit Technologies, Innominds Software, Innoopract, Instantiations, Intel, IntelliObjects, Intellium, Interactive Networks, InterSystems, Intuit, IONA, IP Unity, Isomorphic Software, IT Mill, ITtoolbox, Izenda, JackBe, JadeLiquid Software, Jaduka, JasperSoft, Javeline, JBoss, JetBrains, Jive Software, Joomla!, Kaazing, Kapow Technologies, Kasamba, KCSA Worldwide, Keane, Keynote Systems, KNOVE Software, Krugle, Laszlo Systems, Lawson Software, layeredtech, LeapTag, Levanta, Liferay, Lightstreamer, Liobridge, Lombardi Software, Lookout Software, M/Gateway, Mainsoft, Mapsolute, Marathon Technologies, MaxiScale, MB Technologies, Mercury Computer Systems, Metia Software, Microsoft, Midnight Coders, Mindquarry, Mindshare, MindTouch, Molecular, MomentumSI, Murano Software, NDMC, Neocleus, Neotys, Netfective Technology, Netmite, Newput Corporation, Nexaweb, Nextapp, NextAxiom, Nirvanix, Nitobi, Nokia, Northwoods Software, Novell, Novulo, NSIcom, OASIS, ObjectWave, OHM Systems, One Team Technologies, OpenLink Software, OpenLogic, OpenSpot, Openwave Systems, OPNET Technologies, OpSource, Oracle, Originate Labs, OSAF, Parasoft, Passport Corporation, Pathfinder Technologies, Pentaho, Perforce Software, Pervasive Software, Pixsy Corporation, Plaxo, Polaris, Prequent, Primavera Systems, PushToTest, QLogic, Quasar Technologies, Quasidea Development, Quest Software, Racepoint Group, Rackable Systems, Radialpoint, RadView Software, Raining Data Corporation, Real Networks, Reareden Commerence, Recursion Software, Red Hat, Roaring Penguin Software, Roundarch, Salesforce.com, Sandvine, SAP, Saven Technologies, Scalix, Semotus Solutions, Serebrum Software, Servoy, SharpStyle Labs, SkyCom Corporation, SkyFire, Skyway Software, SnapLogic, SOA Software, Sofia Technology, Software AG, Software FX, Software Research, SolovatSoft, Sonic Software, Sonoa Systems, SoonR, Sourcio, SpanStrategies, Splunk, SST, Stampede Technologies, Starcom Worldwide, StartForce, Strangeloop, StreamFoundry, Sugar CRM, Summit Software, Sun Microsystems, Sybase, Tavant Technologies, Telcontar, Tele Atlas, telepark, telerik, Tellme Networks, Tersus Software, ThinkFree, Thinwire, TIBCO, TMP Worldwide, TopQuadrant, TansFirst, Trivera Technologies, UI Foundry, Userplane, Valtech, Value Labs, Venyo, Vertex Logic, Vignette, Virtua, Virtusa, Visible Measures, Visual Mining, VMware, Voxeo, WatchFire, Wavemaker, Web Spiders, WebEx, Webtide, Whizlabs Software, Wily, WorcsNet, Wrike, Wrox, WSO2, Xenos, Xignite, Xucia, Xythos Software, Yahoo, Zapatec, ZCubes, Zimbra, ZOHO and Zoovy.

About Yakov Fain

Yakov Fain is a Managing Director of Farata Systems, consulting, training and product company. He has authored several Java books, dozens of technical articles. SYS-CON Books released his latest co-authored book , Rich Internet Applications with Adobe Flex and Java: Secrets of the Masters in Spring 2007. Sun Microsystems has nominated and awarded Yakov with the title Java Champion. He leads the Princeton Java Users Group. He is an Adobe Certified Flex Instructor. Currently Yakov works on the book for O'Reilly "Enterprise Application Development with Flex". He twits at twitter.com/yfain.

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